Catholicism in Texas

Baccalaureate Sermon by the Rev. Joseph G. O'Donohoe, LL.D.

The Baccalaureate Sermon by Rev. Joseph G. O'Donohoe discussed threats to the nation and Catholicism. [Figure 3.1]

The Baccalaureate Sermon delivered by Rev. O'Donohoe, pictured above in Figure 3.1, expressed worry over the current state of the world. He worried that the spread of Communist ideology threatened the world and that unforeseen threats may come about in the future due to mounting ideological divides. O'Donohoe argued that young men who received a Catholic education would have the courage to confront this threat and defeat Communism. O'Donohoe stressed that the study and pursuit of the Catholic faith was the way to defeat the threat. He also noted that he felt that there was a "current note of pessimism" in the nation, which had no place in the Catholic religion. O'Donohoe also suggested that they all remained indebted to the Catholic Church for all they have done to spread the peace of Christ.

This article reflects the notion that Catholics in the '30s were typically conservative; their religious beliefs affected and often shaped their political beliefs. The Catholic Church saw itself as a beacon of peace and prosperity, and practicing Catholics respected this. Catholicism had a moderately large following in Texas, which was concentrated geographically. Texan Catholics in the '30s allowed their faith to dictate many parts of their lives by way of their values.

The Catholic Church has been a part of the culture of Texas since the day the Spanish first claimed the territory in the early 1500's. Since then, heavy Spanish influence remained and Catholicism flourished in the Lone Star State. [7]

In 1884, the Third Plenary Council of American Bishops required that all new parishes establish an elementary school and Catholic parents to send their children to Catholic schools. This declaration by the Church, coupled with new legislation that required students to attend school and new limitations on child labor, led to a great expansion of schooling in the United States.

"Every Catholic boy and girl must attend a Catholic School." [8]

A student at St. Edward's pens an article criticizing FDR's New Deal. [Figure 3.2]

The article in Figure 3.1, penned by Douglas Jackson, reflects the same conservative political outlook of Texan Catholics as the Baccalaureate Sermon delivered by Rev. O'Donohoe in criticizing Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. As President during the Great Depression, FDR presented a program, the New Deal, which aimed to ease the financial strife [9]. Some Catholics during the Depression were fans and followers of Fr. Charles Coughlin, also known as the "radio priest." He gave fiery addresses over the radio during the Depression. He was also a very vocal critic of FDR. Fr. Coughlin was able to influence his radio audience in a way that contrasted with FDR’s Fireside Chats, which were also broadcast on the radio throughout the Depression Era. [10, 11]

[Letter, Rev. Hugh O'Donnell, C.S.C. to Rev. Joseph G. O'Donohoe, 1932-02-27]

Rev. O’Donnell asked Rev. O’Donohoe, who was in Sherman, Texas, to express the importance of Catholic education to his parishioners. [Figure 3.3]

[Letter, Rev. Hugh O'Donnell, C.S.C. to Rev. Joseph G. O'Donohoe, 1932-04-15]

Rev. O'Donnell asks Rev. O'Donohoe to send him a list of prospective students. [Figure 3.4]

One of the University’s presidents during the Depression, Rev. Hugh O'Donnell, actively recruited students and advertised the University. He kept in close contact with Rev. O'Donohoe and used this resource to recruit students to St. Edward's, as exemplified in Figures 3.3 and 3.4. By having more students, who could potentially pay in full, St. Edward’s had the opportunity to generate more revenue, which helped keep the university afloat.

St. Edward's did cut teachers’ salaries, as stated in the Trustee minutes from the mid-30s; however, this did not reap the same benefits as it would have in public schools. [12] St. Edward's relied heavily on religious teaching orders and members of the Congregation to act as their teaching staff. The salaries these teachers did receive went right back into their religious community. The decrease of income for many Catholics in the area resulted in less money overall for the institution. It is important to acknowledge that St. Edward's did not receive federal funding at this time. The money they used to run the institution was from tuition, the Catholic Church, and philanthropic donations, namely from local and regional lay Catholics. [13]

St. Edward's remained afloat partly due to their Catholic practices. The desire to send Catholic children to Catholic schools fueled a gallant fight against the financial hindrances that the Great Depression caused. The university was forced to proactively recruit students from across Texas, and relied on other Holy Cross schools and philanthropic organizations to offer funding for the school. The school received a $200,000 donation from the Holy Cross provicial leadership and Notre Dame in Indiana which helped significantly during the Depression. [14]

The desire to send their children to a Catholic school proved financially straining for some families. Shutting the doors of St. Edward's would have devastated many, as the demand for Catholic universities was high and the financial benefits would not prove to be worth it. Bishop Karl J. Alter argued, "We have no salaries in consequence merely by closing schools. All that we can save by such a method is the cost of janitor service and the coal bill. We would still have to support our religion whether on the parish grounds or at the Motherhouses." [15]

Closing the school would not have changed the financial strain that was on the Church. No matter what, the lack of public funding to churches forced the diocese to go into debt. The decision to keep the schools open and to continue to pay religious faculty a salary proved to be a creative way to keep the university running. The salaries helped pay off the debt that the diocese began to acquire, since they were funneled back into the church. St. Edward's also used the recruitment of new students to generate revenue from tuition. This kept the university afloat, but the financial strain on families was, in some cases, extreme. In bolstering their Catholic ethos, St. Edward’s was able to generate revenue from multiple sources.